The event, featuring free workshops and discussions with 12 nationally recognized authors, will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a break for a ticket-only luncheon featuring Conroy’s remarks.

Conroy rose to fame as the author of “The Great Santini,” a fiction based on his life experiences as the son of an abusive father, a U.S. Marine fighter pilot. He’s returning to Panama City (after a brief visit in 2013) with his latest book, “The Death of Santini,” a memoir of his renewed relationship with his father after “Great Santini” was published.

“He loathed my depiction of him in ‘The Great Santini,’ and he set out to prove me wrong by turning himself into something that was recognizably human,” Conroy explained on his website (PatConroy.com). “It’s the great surprise of my life that I ended up loving him so much.”

Born in Atlanta in 1945, Conroy was the first of seven children of a young career military officer from Chicago and a Southern beauty from Alabama, to whom Pat often credits for his love of language. The Conroys moved frequently to military bases throughout the South, with Conroy eventually attending The Citadel Military Academy in Charleston, S.C., where, as a student, he published his first book, “The Boo,” a tribute to a beloved teacher.

Conroy said he and all of his siblings suffered emotional and physical abuse from their father, but his mother was like a lifeline for him — introducing him to books and a wider world. His siblings don’t share what he calls his “exalted affection” for their mother, however, and by writing about them again in “The Death of Santini,” he found a conclusion that “feels like the truth at last.”

As a young man, Conroy taught underprivileged children in a one-room schoolhouse on Daufuskie Island off the South Carolina shore but, after a year, was fired for “unconventional teaching practices” — such as his refusal to allow corporal punishment of his students. He exposed the racism and appalling conditions his students endured with the memoir, “The Water is Wide,” in 1972. The book won him a humanitarian award from the National Education Association and was made into the feature film “Conrack.”

Conroy was living in Atlanta with his young family when he wrote “The Great Santini,” published in 1976 and made into a film starring Robert Duvall. The book that so painfully exposed his family’s secrets brought him a period of tremendous personal desolation — his own divorce, as well as that of his parents; his mother presented a copy of “The Great Santini” to the judge as “evidence” in divorce proceedings against his father.

His next novel, “The Lords of Discipline” (1980), exposed the harsh military discipline and racism at The Citadel. “The Prince of Tides” (1986) became his most successful book and one of the most beloved novels of modern time. It was also adapted as a highly successful feature film directed by and starring Barbra Streisand with Nick Nolte’s performance earning him an Oscar nomination.

Conroy’s other books include “Beach Music,” “My Losing Season,” “South of Broad” “The Pat Conroy Cookbook,” and “My Reading Life,” a celebration of reading and the books that most influenced him.

BooksAlive 2014

Now recognized as the signature project of the Bay County Public Library Foundation, the inaugural BooksAlive took place in the summer of 1999. Past keynote speakers have included several New York Times bestselling authors, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a former state governor, a U.S. Congressman, a presidential candidate, and a “60 Minutes” network producer with Panama City ties.

Readers, writers and the media gather at the event from more than 100 miles away to spend time with others who appreciate books and culture. Participants leave with new ideas and knowledge, as well as new and renewed friendships.

Kim Boykin, author of “The Wisdom of Hair.” She said she writes stories about strong Southern women because that’s what she knows.

Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of “Losing the Moon,” “Where the River Runs,” “When Light Breaks,” “Between the Tides,” “The Art of Keeping Secrets,” “Driftwood Summer,” “The Perfect Love Song,” “Coming up for Air” and the upcoming “And Then I Found You.”

Peter Golden, an award-winning journalist and the author of six full-length works of non-fiction and fiction. His debut novel was “Comeback Love” (2012), and his next novel, “Lovewood,” will be published in 2014.

Cynthia Stevens Graubart, award winning author, speaker, former cooking show TV producer, and co-author with Nathalie Dupree of “Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking,” as well as the best-selling “Southern Biscuits.” Her latest book is “Slow Cooking for Two: The Basics.” (See CynthiaGraubart.com for more.)

Masha Hamilton is the author of five acclaimed novels, most recently “What Changes Everything,” and “31 Hours.” In October 2013, she finished 16 months working in Afghanistan as director of Communications and Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy. (See MashaHamilton.com for more.)

River Jordan is a Panama City native now based in Nashville. A critically-acclaimed author, inspiring speaker, and creative radio host, she teaches and speaks around the country on “The Power of Story,” and produces and hosts Clearstory Radio on WRFN, 107.1-FM Nashville. She writes a regularly featured spirituality blog for Psychology Today.

Her novels include: “The Gin Girl,” “The Messenger of Magnolia Street,” “Saints In Limbo,” and “The Miracle of Mercy Land.” Jordan’s first work of narrative non-fiction, “Praying for Strangers: An Adventure of the Human Spirit,” tells the story of an unexpected and amazing resolution she embraced — to silently pray for a stranger she passed each day. (See RiverJordan.info for more.)

Kristen Keckler is a teacher, writer and editor with a PhD in creative nonfiction. She writes in all genres and is just completing a memoir about life and work called “What Do You Do?”

Cassandra King currently lives in the Low Country of South Carolina with her husband, Pat Conroy, whom she met when he wrote a blurb for her first novel, “Making Waves.” Inspired by “Rebecca,” Daphne DuMaurier’s classic gothic romance, King’s newest novel “Moonrise” was introduced to local readers during a tour that included stops in Panama City in September 2013.

Cynthia Lord’s debut novel, “Rules,” was a New York Times Bestseller and received the Newbery Honor and nine other awards. She also wrote “Hot Rod Hamster” and “Happy Birthday, Hamster,” and has four new books being published in 2014. (See CynthiaLord.com for more.)

Sharman Burson Ramsey has served as an adjunct professor, and is a former radio talk show host. A genealogist, her discovery of Native American heritage inspired the “Serpents” series family saga beginning with “Swimming with Serpents” and “Nest of Vipers,” and the upcoming “In Pursuit.” She is a faculty member of the Chautauqua Assembly in DeFuniak Springs. (See Southern-Style.com for more.)

Bill Roorbach’s newest work is “Life Among Giants,” and his next book (coming this fall) will be “Storm of the Century.” His other fiction includes the Flannery O’Connor Prize and O. Henry Prize winner “Big Bend.” He writes full time and blogs with fellow author David Gessner at BillAndDavesCocktailHour.com.